Time and space seem to be different here. There is an amazing way in which people co-exist that is unlike any other culture I have met. The streets of Calcutta are filled with trash, which is meticulously hand sorted each morning and the sidewalks are hand swept and drains unclogged with little metal pieces. Traffic looks like permanent gridlock and sounds like a horn symphony due to a law that if you are going to pass another car, you MUST honk. However, even on a busy bridge such as the one I walk across daily in Rishikesh, Ram Jhula, motorbikes pass the people walking, Cows frequent the bridge and, here is a new addition, so do Monkeys!
After a week and a half spent in Calcutta with the volunteer organizations and making kind-hearted friends here in India to give their time to others without asking for anything in return.... I went to Darjeeling, a hill station with a Himalayan view. It was a lovely town, still amazingly crowded for it's size and of course, altitude and difficult roads. The air was crisp from the mountains and fog came in and out all day long, sometimes allowing brief and spectacular views of the mountains. Instead of trekking, I spent the time at my lovely little hotel, retreating from the former over stimulation of Calcutta with a cold and a stomach bug. The retreat was quite nice, good blankets, nice room with a view and a geat crisp climate that stimulated the desire to cuddle up and read or go have tea and watch the sunset from the upper floor restaurant.
Cash headed to Bhutan in the North and met up with me when I got sick and we both went to Calcutta for a day. I headed to Rishikesh and he is went to Dhaka and is now in Nepal.
Since arriving a week ago in Rishikesh, I have made some very nice friends of yogi foreigners who live in Koh Pha Ngan, met back up with an Israeli friend from my massage course and hung out with the motorbiking French and Australian fellows from my guest house.
The first few days were tranquil since we were all in a little hotel tucked up the hill in a quiet forested location. There was a yoga studio NEXT door to my bedroom and I was happy to practice with the nice teacher. I got to motorbike with my friends to a beach on the Ganga and go or a swim... legend is that it rids you of evil deeds, nice! We also went to a lovely walking trail with several waterfalls along the path and a village up top. I have been exploring both sides of the bridge and enjoying the incredible energy of the place, which has changed a lot since the Beathles came here to meditate with the Maharishi. The tourism is rampent and the people are more businessy than spiritual, but the energy from years of hard-core meditation has left an imprint on the place.
I will be here, taking an intensive yoga course with Agama yoga (trika here) until late October, and then..... plans yet to be decided.
Wishing everyone well.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment